This special episode of the podcast was recorded live at the Blue Couch Bookshop in Columbus, Ohio.

Because the discussion centers on a critical conversation about Joe Hecker’s new novel I Ain’t a Girl, Wes Scott and Kevin take the first half of the episode on their own, discussing the book without Joe present. In the second half, Joe joins the conversation for a Q&A about the novel, the writing process, and some of the ideas behind it.

If the conversation sparks your interest, I Ain’t a Girl is available as both a paperback and an e-book on Amazon.

In this Bonus Short, Joe discusses Don Carpenter’s 1966 novel Hard Rain Falling. He explores Carpenter’s background, the novel’s existential struggles, and Carpenter’s possible place within the Beat Generation and the West Coast experimental writers of his time. Joe also considers the novel’s search for shelter from the “hard rain,” and much more.

He closes by promoting his novel I Ain’t a Girl, available on Amazon in ebook and paperback, and announces a live podcast event on March 9th from 7–9 p.m. at Blue Couch Bookshop in Columbus, Ohio.

In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into Marilynne Robinson’s 2005 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Gilead. Their conversation explores themes of reconciliation and forgiveness, the role of religion in fiction, the moral responsibilities of parents, and the quiet dignity—and possible cost—of an unassuming life. As always, the episode features original music composed and performed by Sam Muccio. The episode also includes a mention of Joe’s new novel, I Ain’t a Girl, now available on Amazon in paperback and e-book formats.

In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into Peter Matthiessen’s 2008 National Book Award–winning novel, Shadow Country. The conversation explores the construction of truth, the challenges of writing beyond one’s lived experience, what defines historical fiction—and whether Shadow Country truly qualifies—as well as the concept of the Jungian shadow and much more. The episode also features original podcast music composed and performed by Sam Muccio, along with the announcement of Joe’s new novel, I Ain’t a Girl, now available on Amazon in paperback and e-book formats.

In this special episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into a wide-ranging conversation about the act of reading, who’s doing it, and why literary fiction—however you define it—remains essential. This episode also features the premiere of our original podcast music composed and performed by Sam Muccio.

In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Thomas Pynchon's 2025 novel, Shadow Ticket. At 88 years old, Pynchon gives us another gem which we compare and contrast with his previous work, discuss who might follow in the footsteps of master's like Pynchon, delve into the cheese scandals of the 1930s and much more...

In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott and Kevin discuss the German postmodern writer Arno Schmidt and dive into what exactly postmodern literature is and what value it may or may not have.

In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. We discuss the Judge, the Kid, the nature of violence as presented by McCarthy, why there are no women in the nevel, the influence of Faulkner and Melville, and much more...

In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 dystopian novel, Never Let Me Go. We discuss questions around what it actually means to be human, the ethical treatment of others, what exactly is YA, style vs content, and much more...

In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Rodrigo Fresán's 2022 work, Melvill. The post-modern biography centers on Herman Melville and his father who died after crossing the frozen Hudson River. We discuss Fresán's structure and playfulness, his many many literary allusions, the "bad father" trope, and much more...